Another large block joined the others at the foot of the crag. I moved up gingerly, reluctant to test the next handhold in case that too came off. "Below!" I decided to save my breath and only shout out when there wasn't any danger of rock fall. So everything went strangely silent.
Why was I here again?
After over 30 years of total neglect due to access problems (the landowners didn't want anyone climbing there, and the crag is in plain view of the farm in the valley below), Orgate Scar is finally open again. The left hand end of the crag is on Open Access land, and the BMC have managed to get agreement to climb on the rest from the start of February until the end of July each year.
The last guidebook talked of 'fine lines', and described it as a 'major crag'. So last Saturday, half a dozen intrepid explorers/gullible fools made the 90 minute journey to Marske, near Richmond. It's a 20 minute walk across sheep-grazed grassland to the crag, which is blessed with glorious views over lower Swaledale.
It took us a while to find our bearings, during which time Carmen and I climbed a loose unprotected Severe chimney, mistaking it for Chockstone Chimney (VDiff). By the time we got to the top, the others had found the real Chockstone Chimney, so we climbed that as well, finding it to be fairly solid and only Diff. The area around this route appeared to contain the greatest concentration of clean looking rock so we stayed put.
Several lines were climbed, most of them being on good quality rock, though with some vegetation and some loose sections, as you'd expect on an obscure crag that's been neglected for a few decades. In general, there was less vegetation than expected, and on the best lines probably less loose rock. But this was more than made up for on the chimney crack of Owake ('Severe')…
"Below!" I shouted again. Another head-sized rock had been dislodged by the rope, trailing uselessly below me via several pieces of imaginary protection. Luckily Carmen was belaying safely round the corner. I looked up again. The end was in sight, only a few feet above. And miracle of miracles – a short crack, both sides of which were firmly attached – some reliable protection! I carefully topped out (all the rock on the ground at the top was also unattached) and brought Carmen up.
A major crag? Well, no, not really. But a very good minor crag. Some fine lines? Certainly, the best routes could hold their own on any low-grade Yorkshire limestone crag. Some awful lines as well, but with one exception we managed to distinguish between them in advance! Grades were mostly roughly right, though a lot can change in 30 years so they shouldn't be relied on too much.
After initial misgivings as we arrived at the loosest most jungly end of the crag, I think everyone had a good time. I'd certainly go back, though I suspect that between us we did all the best routes.
Routes climbed:
Feather Light Flakes MVS 4b **
Gossamer Groove VS 4c **
Impede HS 4a *
Evel Knievel VS 5a *
Yo-Yo VD *
Chockstone Chimney HD
Jack the Gripper VDiff (VS 4c in the guide!)
Owake VS 4a bag of crumbly shite